House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-05-15 Daily Xml

Contents

PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE: ADELAIDE FESTIVAL CENTRE AND HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE SUSTAINMENT WORKS

Mr SIBBONS (Mitchell) (11:02): I move:

That the 476th report of the committee, entitled Adelaide Festival Centre and Her Majesty's Theatre Sustainment Works, be noted.

The committee has received a proposal from Arts SA, in collaboration with the Adelaide Festival Centre Trust, to carry out works on the Adelaide Festival Centre and Her Majesty's Theatre. The project has a cost of $7.58 million. The AFC and HMT are premier arts performance venues, with an average attendance of 900,000 people per annum, and an annual revenue of approximately $22 million.

The project will address matters identified as presenting safety hazards to people—patrons, hirers, employees, etc.—and risking the ongoing operations of the trust. The works at the Adelaide Festival Centre include: improve air-conditioning effectiveness and efficiencies; upgrade the main electrical switchboards; make emergency power systems safe; replace failing lifts in the Festival Theatre; patch and repair waterproof systems to roof shells; and replace carpet in the AFC foyer and Piano Bar foyer.

In Her Majesty's Theatre, it will: install a fire sprinkler system; improve access and egress paths; improve existing fire equipment and hardware; upgrade emergency lighting systems; resolve toilet amenity failures and odours—very important; replace electric switchboards and cabling infrastructure; improve auditorium seating; and replace carpets in public areas. The AFC works are scheduled to be completed by June 2014 and the HMT works by February 2014. Given this, and pursuant to section 12C of the Parliamentary Committees Act 1991, the Public Works Committee reports to parliament that it recommends the proposed public works.

Mr PENGILLY (Finniss) (11:05): As a member of the Public Works Committee, I rise to inform the house that opposition members support this project. We did not find it necessary to have a hearing on it. We had substantial hearings on and site visits to the Festival Theatre a couple of years ago, and we are pleased to support this.

Motion carried.